First-of-its-kind program will prepare business professionals to join Canada’s cannabis industry

OSHAWA, Ontario, April 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Durham College (DC) and Emblem Corp. (TSXV:EMC) (EMC.WT) (Emblem), on behalf of its health and education subsidiary GrowWise Health Limited (GrowWise), are partnering to develop and launch the Cannabis Industry Specialization certificate in fall 2018. The first of its kind in Ontario, the part-time studies program will be delivered both in class and online via simulcast. It is designed to prepare professionals with business experience or who have already completed a diploma or degree in business to pursue a career in the rapidly growing cannabis sector.

“The long-term success of Canada’s cannabis industry will depend strongly on there being a skilled workforce to support and advance it,” said Adam Saperia, president, GrowWise. “Together, GrowWise and Durham College are ensuring that the right education and training are available to those who are interested in entering this exciting field.”

Other industry leaders are joining GrowWise in contributing expertise to the development of the program’s curriculum, including Ample Organics, Cannabis at Work, Molecular Science Corp., and CannaInvestor Magazine. Building on the success of the college’s Medical Cannabis Fundamentals for Business Professionals course, the new certificate will include a course focused on medical cannabis fundamentals and expand the scope of students’ learning with courses focused on areas such as cannabis in the recreational/adult-use market, cannabis regulatory affairs and ethics, importing and exporting cannabis and cannabis business operations. Students who have already successfully completed DC’s two-day, introductory medical cannabis course will be eligible to receive academic credit towards earning their certificate.

“With Canada already established as a global leader in medical cannabis and soon to become only the second country in the world to legalize adult recreational use on a national level, the need for skilled business professionals will continue to grow dramatically,” said Debbie Johnston, dean of DC’s School of Continuing Education, which will deliver the program. “While other programs focus on the production side of the industry, Durham College is leading the way in preparing professionals interested in management and non-horticultural roles. Graduates of the Cannabis Industry Specialization certificate will make it easier for employers to recognize the right candidates for their jobs.”

The new program marks the latest development in DC’s work with GrowWise to establish the college as a leader in cannabis-related post-secondary education. The Medical Cannabis Fundamentals for Business Professionals course launched in November 2017 and is now offered on a monthly basis through in-class and interactive simulcast delivery.

About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and eight apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The college is also set to launch its first four-year degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management, in September 2018.

The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the art Student Services building and will soon feature the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs.

The Whitby campus features the award-winning W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

GrowWise Health, a subsidiary of Emblem Corp., provides patients and healthcare providers with personalized education to make informed choices about medical cannabis treatments. With education centres across Ontario and British Columbia, prospective patients can learn more at www.growwisehealth.com.

About Emblem

Emblem Corp., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Emblem Cannabis Corporation, is a fully integrated licensed producer and distributor of medical cannabis and cannabis derivatives in Canada under the ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations). Led by a team of cannabis experts and former health care and pharma executives, it has three distinct verticals – cannabis production, patient education centers, and pharmaceutical dosage form development. Emblem trades under the ticker symbol EMC on the TSX Venture Exchange.

This press release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "potential", "intend", "may", "will", "should", or similar words suggesting future outcomes. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include changes in market and competition, governmental or regulatory developments and general economic conditions. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as at the date of this news release and Emblem does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

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